September Update: How We're Growing & What It Means for You

This month, I want to take a little more time to walk you through some of the ways our team and our business have grown over the past while — and, more importantly, what those changes mean for you.

A new face leading our sales

We've brought on Nick Duszczyszyn — or, as we call him, Nick D. (think Dave, but with a mustache). Nick is taking the lead on all of our real estate sales activity. You'll still see me around, but Nick is exceptional at what he does: great with listings, genuinely in touch with the market, and a local guy who's been in the business for a decade. I think he's fantastic, and I think you will too. Expect to see more of him in the months ahead.

Property management, leveled up

Ryan is stepping up to run our property management side, and it's a part of the business that's really growing. We've found a lot of great synergy here — it ties into our general client book and helps with listings, with people moving in and out, with getting garbage hauled away, and with everyday maintenance and handyman work. We now have a few of those folks on staff, so we can solve the kinds of problems that inevitably come up when you own real estate.

Creative strategies for sellers and downsizers

On the sales side, we're continuing to work through creative strategies for clients looking to downsize. We have the ability to help you buy a home without conditions and to bridge financing when timing is tight. We also keep money out on loan — usually at low or no interest — to help clients get through a few things. It's handled case by case, but for our loyal clients, we're absolutely here to help and back-stop when it counts.

Financing that goes beyond "the best rate"

That leads into our financing services. If you haven't reached out to Chad about how we can help on the financing side, you should — because there's a lot more to it than simply chasing the lowest rate.

We touch a lot of mortgages and stay in contact with a lot of clients, which gives us real insight into what banks are actually offering. If we know, say, five clients at RBC and one of them landed prime minus one on their last renewal, we can help you negotiate with your own bank from a position of knowledge. Making sure you're working with the right option is exactly what our financing services are built to do.

The most exciting piece is our new partnership with National Bank, which has been a great resource. Through their private banking channel, we can do things like refinance student rentals to 80% loan-to-value — without worrying about an appraisal, the number of names on a lease, or whether you're newly self-employed. If you've been told you can't refinance something or don't qualify to purchase, this is worth a conversation.

Here's the honest reality: banks do more for people with money. The advantage we bring is that we have clients with significant means — and because of that relationship, the bank extends that same treatment across our client base, even to clients who might not otherwise qualify on their own.

Where I think this helps most people is the wealth management side. We work with a terrific investment advisor, Todd at National Bank, who is willing to look past his usual minimum thresholds to help anyone who is a client of ours. His advice is genuinely good and his returns have been fantastic. Even if you already have someone and just want a second opinion, I'd recommend a chat — and I'm happy to share what he's done for me personally. Conversations like this are tailored to your specific situation, but they can only happen if you reach out.

Investing: fewer easy wins, but real opportunities remain

On the investing side, great opportunities have been harder to find lately — most now sit above the $1.2 million mark. That said, we've still put together some excellent deals in the last six months: clients buying properties that cash-flow $2,000 a month right out of the gate, or buying, severing, and flipping for a million-dollar profit.

So there are still smart ways to invest in real estate — it's just a more nuanced conversation. We'd need to understand your goals and how to leverage your existing assets. Sometimes investing doesn't mean buying more property at all; it means repurposing what you already have. Sometimes we sell an asset to buy a different style of one. And sometimes we simply act as the conduit — borrowing against an income-generating asset and directing that money to a private banking and wealth management team who put it to work, cover the refinance payment for you, and let you sit back, enjoy a coffee, and count the profit.

What's next

We're continuing to build, add to the team, and expand our services to bring you more value. One example: for anyone paying attention, you now know we own 3.8 acres on Stone Road that we use for overflow parking for tenants at some of our student rentals — and that's now available to all of our clients. We've got more in the works on that front, and plenty more coming in terms of what we can do for you.

If you know someone who'd be a great client — someone getting into or out of the market, needing help managing a property, looking for direction, or who's been turned down for financing — put them in touch. We love those conversations, because thinking outside the box usually reveals a way to make it work. Sometimes it takes a bit of elbow grease, but finding ways to make it work in real estate is exactly what I've been doing for 25 years.

Thanks for being a trusted client. Anytime you want to reach out and chat, I'm always here to lend an ear. Until next month — we'll talk then.